Congo rallies to a 3-1 win against Uzbekistan to seal place in the World Cup knockouts

ATLANTA (AP) — For 52 years, Congo's standout World Cup memory was a humiliating 9-0 rout at the hands of Yugoslavia in its only other appearance on soccer's biggest stage.

Not anymore. Not after a new generation of players made history by advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time and set up a clash with England.

“The weight on our shoulders was hard to bear,” said striker Yoane Wissa, whose two goals helped Congo rally to a 3-1 win against Uzbekistan on Saturday night

Fiston Mayele was also on target in a dramatic second-half comeback as Congo joined Cape Verde as another unexpected qualifier for the round of 32.

“We told ourselves we can’t give up,” Mayele said.

Congo has been one of the surprise stories of this World Cup, with few expecting it to emerge from a group that included Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Colombia. And history was hardly on its side.

Congo's previous appearance was when it competed as Zaire in 1974 and lost all three games, including the rout by Yugoslavia.

It's a completely different story now.

After holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw earlier in the tournament, Congo needed a win in its final Group K game to advance as one of the best third-place teams.

It did just that with a breathless fight back after trailing to Eldor Shomurodov's lobbed goal in the 10th minute.

“We’re a team that knows how to respond when we concede a goal; we keep fighting with determination,” coach Sébastien Desabre said.

If the weight of the occasion was evident in Congo's first-half performance, the resilience of its players proved irresistible after the break.

The game was level in the 68th when Wissa was brought down by Abdukodir Khusanov for a penalty.

Wissa picked himself up and sent Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov the wrong way, rolling the ball into the bottom corner for the first of a late flurry of goals.

Mayele put Congo ahead 10 minutes later when flicking past Nematov at the near post and was mobbed by teammates and even substitutes, who raced off the bench and across the field to join in the wild celebrations.

There were even more joyous scenes when Wissa put the result beyond doubt in added time with a curling shot into the bottom corner.

Fans continued celebrating long after the final whistle, singing and dancing in the stadium concourses. The memories of 1974 fading fast.

“We’re going to savor this moment because it’s been tough,” said Wissa. “All the guys — the substitutes, those who’ve worn the jersey before, and those who’ll wear it tomorrow — we should be proud. Thank you to all the Congolese people; it’s for moments like these that we do what we do. We did it!”

Congo is one of nine African nations to advance from the group stage at this tournament.

“It’s quite an achievement. We showed a good image of Congo,” said Desabre.

Uzbekistan's debut at the World Cup ended in three straight defeats.

“I hope this tournament will give us big experience. I hope this experience will give us more motivation for the future,” said coach Fabio Cannavaro.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Uzbekistan's Sherzod Nasrullaev (13) reacts to a loss during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Uzbekistan's Eldor Shomurodov (14) celebrates after scoring their first goal during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S.Lesser)

Congo's Yoane Wissa (20) kicks for a penalty kick goal during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Congo's Yoane Wissa (20) celebrates their first goal on a penalty kick during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Congo's Cedric Bakambu (17), Yoane Wissa (20) and Gedeon Kalulu (24) celebrate a win during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court on Thursday upheld a block on President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting, a decision that comes as the Supreme Court considers the same case and states have already started sending out ballots for the high-stakes midterm elections.

The three-judge panel refused to lift a preliminary injunction against the order issued last week by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. It prohibits the U.S. Postal Service from implementing Trump’s directive. The Postal Service has said it would not deliver ballots from states that did not pre-clear their envelope design with the federal government and submit a list of voters to an online portal, which has yet to be activated.

Election officials warn that it’s impossible to comply with those terms, especially with the first mail ballots arleady being sent out in Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The panel of three judges nominated by former President Joe Biden agreed with the plaintiffs that the president does not have the power to regulate states’ election policy.

“Appellants have not made a strong showing that the district court erred in determining that the Final Rule is likely unlawful,” they wrote, a reference to a rule published by the Postal Service to implement Trump’s order.

The panel wrote that the Trump administration had done little to dispel arguments by many election officials that the changes would bring “chaos and widespread disenfranchisement.”

“Indeed, appellants have not even seriously challenged this aspect of the district court’s ruling, much less demonstrated why it is clearly erroneous,” the order states.

The government also hasn’t shown evidence of past fraud to justify the restrictions, the judges said.

A request for comment from the White House was not immediately returned.

The panel’s decision comes even as the Supreme Court is already considering the same case, which is part of a frenzied legal rush as states are beginning to send out mail ballots for this fall’s midterm elections. Democrats and civil rights groups in a separate lawsuit in Washington, D.C., also are trying to halt the executive order.

The 1st Circuit also had upheld a previous hold Talwani placed on the executive order. But that ruling was lifted by the Supreme Court in a procedural decision that did not determine whether the plan was constitutional.

The plaintiffs swiftly filed new lawsuits after the Postal Service finalized its rule governing mail ballots.

Wake County Board of Elections employees prepare absentee ballots to be mailed on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Ramey)

President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican convention, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

FILE - Vote-by-mail ballots for the presidential primary election are seen on March 12, 2024, at the Clark County Elections Office in Vancouver, Wash. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)